1. Field of the Invention
Farm Equipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Occasionally a descriptive term in this application may be shortened so as to recite only a part rather than the entirety thereof as a matter of convenience or to avoid needless redundancy. In instances in which that is done, applicant intends that the same meaning be afforded each manner of expression. Thus, the term coelevational loading opening (28) might be used in one instance but in another, if meaning is otherwise clear from context, expression might be shortened to loading opening (28) or merely opening (28). Any of those forms is intended to convey the same meaning.
The term attach or fasten or any of their forms when so used means that the juncture is of a more or less permanent nature, such as might be accomplished by nails, screws, welds or adhesives. Thus it is stated herein that the forage bin's (21) connection to the peripheral frame assembly (1) is one of attachment, for which purpose bolts or a weld may be employed. A connection in which one object is easily removed from another is described by the word emplace, as where it is stated herein that the forage (200) is emplaced within the forage emplacement assembly (2)—typically a forage bin (21). A connection in which two objects, although not attached could be separated only with considerable difficulty is referred to herein as one of rigid emplacement. The binding of the forage bag (100) to the peripheral frame assembly (1) by bungee cords or other acceptable such means (24) is stated herein to be such a connection. Employment of the words connector join or any of their forms is intended to include the meaning of any of those terms in a more general way.
The word comprise may be construed in any one of three ways herein. A term used to describe a given object is said to comprise it, thereby characterizing it with what could be considered two-way equivalency in meaning for the term. Thus, it is stated that bag ties (101) often comprising elastic bungee cord type connectors may be employed to secure the forage bag (100) to the peripheral frame assembly (1). The term comprise may also be characterized by what might be considered one-way equivalency, as when it is stated herein that the power takeoff of a tractor or other piece of motorized farm machinery (430) comprises the empowered linkage (400) required for operation, meaning that in the given instance, that mechanism (430) is itself (430) the linkage (400). This use of the word has a generic sense to it. That is, the power takeoff (430) will always be empowered linkage (400) but such linkage (400) may be motorized equipment power takeoff (430) in one case but something else in another. However, the word comprise may also be used to describe a feature which is part of the structure or composition of a given object. Thus, the peripheral frame assembly (1) is stated to comprise, among other things, an entrance opening (13) as a component thereof. The meaning in the respective cases is clear from context, however. Accordingly, modifying words to clarify which of the three uses is the intended one seem unnecessary.
Terms relating to physical orientation such as top or bottom, upper or lower, refer to the manner the assembly would be observed positioned for operation in the field. This convention has been adopted as a matter of convenience in discussing orientation and as shown in the drawings, the forage (200) is preferably loaded into the bin (21) from above.
The term longitudinal refers to generally elongated configuration, herein the front to rear aspect of the assembly. Thus, a particular historical patent is observed to have provided two interfaced augers (603) disposed longitudinally in rotational opposition.
The word forage (100) as used herein refers to a host of farm materials, edible by farm stock or stored for other future purposes. Hay, corn, wheat and silage, feed or fodder in general are examples.
Certain words may have been coined herein to simplify discussion. In some cases, a noun may be converted to a verb or adjective. The term planular refers to the plane-like aspect of a given object's structure, in this case, a plausible embodiment of the frame (11). The term peripheral in conjunction with the frame assembly (1) denotes the fact that the structure (1) is disposed upward and outward beyond the immediate impelling site. Coelevational has been coined to denote a common horizontally disposed relationship between two points of reference, such as the forage bin's loading opening (28) vis-a vis the piston assembly (3) and the frame's assembly's entrance opening (13). Similarly, by reason of the preliminary drive assembly's (25) continuous racetrack-like run wherein its scoops or paddles (26) deposit the forage (200) into the reciprocating piston's (31) path, it (25) is conveniently characterized in shorthand expression as rotable. The meanings of all such terms are generally explained ante.
It seems that every farm task traditionally undertaken manually has now been adapted to one or another mechanized assembly. The collection of forage (200) is no exception. For more than a century, inventors hard at work around the world have been creating gadgets to get it (200) from the field to storage without lifting a pitchfork.
The auger (603) proved the major center of attention in that connection. At an early date, U.S. Pat. No. 68,101 issued to Mills actually interfaced two of them (603) longitudinally in rotational opposition to both grind and deliver peat into a receptacle. An impressive list of innovative devices followed that lead, some addressing oil extraction from raw plant materials and others, sausage stuffing, dough kneading, churning and screw generated pumping in general. Examples culminating in forage bag (100) filling include U.S. Pat. No. 3,687,061 issued to Eggenmuller, et al and U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,343 issued to St. Clair (U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,128 appearing to be cumulative thereof). These devices oriented the augers (603) longitudinally, depositing the forage (200) into the bag (100) at the rear.
In much a similar vein, rotational means—not truly an auger (603) but very like one (603)—was oriented transversely, still accomplishing the same purpose. These are, therefore, to be considered in the same light and include U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,805 issued to Johnson, et al (U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,901 issued to Lee and U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,036 issued to Rasmussen, et al appearing to be cumulative thereof) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,876 issued to Ryan.
There are more, but the screw or auger (603), while historically tantalizing, provides only tangential curiosity along these lines. Hay balers are probably closer to the point, since some of them force the material into designated shapes by means of piston-like mechanisms, albeit not of the reciprocating type as considered herein, ante. U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,268 issued to White, et al did employ a driving member much resembling in operation and appearance the reciprocating piston (31) which is the subject hereof but only the tail end of a fairly complex timed mechanical chain dedicated solely to baling.
Forage bag (100) loading assemblies have shared certain characteristics in common. Invariably, there has been a bin of some sort (601) with an opening (631) through which forage (200) loading has been accomplished. Some type of mechanism, typically an auger (603), supra, then moved the forage (200) into the interior of a horn (612) through an opening (631) therein (612). The horn (612) was most advantageously streamlined to facilitate the forage's (200) passage. Some configurations were even suggestive of a seashell, ever expanding toward its outlet. There (612), the pressure generated by the forage's (200) accumulation caused it (200) to follow the path of least resistance into the bag (100).
Anchoring of the bag (100) to the horn (612) was accomplished by bag ties (101)—often comprising elastic bungee cord type connectors either extending longitudinally from the bag's (100) end to the horn (612) or wrapped around its (100) mouth which overlapped the horn's (612) outlet. Nonetheless, it was also learned that the bag (100) need not be tightly fitted at the bottom but instead, permitted to hang limply there. In fact, some relief opening was found to advantageously avoid excessive fermentation pressure buildup within the bag (100). Accordingly, the horn (612), though preferably domed at the top, was often deliberately truncated in cross sectional design across the bottom.
It was observed almost from the first that as the long tunnel-like bag (100) filled, its (100) weight kept it (100) from moving along the ground. As a result, the loading equipment and any power providing farm machinery (430) present were observed to be gradually nudged forward. The hay wagon or other source of supply likewise had to be moved a little at a time to keep up. Without more, it was also unhappily observed, the forward inching of the equipment tended to prevent good compaction of the forage (200). The solution, it was learned, was to provide a sort of braking mechanism. Yet, forward movement altogether such as provided by a true brake had to be avoided. Ultimately, a torque opposition assembly (500), usually manually operable by hand lever to resist but not stop altogether a wheel's rotation, was developed. When filling was completed, the bag itself (100), despite its (100) rigid emplacement and even the bag ties (101), conveniently loosened from its (100) moorings, ready for sealing or other on-site treatment.
Early in development, it also became clear that it was advantageous to load the forage (200) into the bin then employed (601) from above, allowing it (200) to drop into place for the auger (603) to do its (603) work. In time, conveyors of one sort or another (650) were added to move the forage (200) from the ground, where it (200) was usually handled, to the bin (601). But then, means to keep the conveyor (650) from dragging on the ground because of the equipment's inching forward from the pressure exerted by the forage (200) from behind had to be provided. Pulley assemblies added to the conveyors (650), among other things, assisted in lateral accommodating adjustment.
The system, of course, required empowered linkage (400) of some sort. That was satisfactorily provided by a liquid fuel power generating engine (411)—one run on gasoline, for example. Although electric power generating engines (412) were also known, they were not generally employed because the work was generally undertaken in the field, away from electric plug-in power sources. What was observed, however, was that the power takeoff from a tractor or other piece of motorized farm machinery (430) could be used. The intervening linkage was either of the sprocket and chain assembly (421) sort or a direct drive assembly (422) featuring splines and related solid gearing connections.
It would be wise to include in a packing assembly many existing prior art features including, for example, the torque opposition assembly (500), the gasoline powered (411) motorized farm vehicle (430) for power linkage (400), the bag ties (101) and the domed but bottom truncated cross-sectional configuration of the horn (612). It would be beneficial to provide innovative means, however, for the traditionally employed conveyor's (650) connection to the forage emplacement assembly (2) to avoid having it (650) drag along the ground while the system is inched forward because of posterior filling pressure as well as to adapt the rotational inertia of a flywheel (32), ante, to the system's empowered linkage (400). Most of all, however, it would be highly beneficial to provide a forage bag (100) loading assembly incorporating means less costly and lighter in weight than the traditional auger (603) to move the forage (200) from the site of its (200) introduction into the system to the bag (100), its (200) ultimate destination. While, one would observe in that connection that as a predecessor to the innovations hereof, loading the forage (200) from above assures speedy delivery to its (200) intended packing site, coelevational loading would be more convenient to set up. An assembly functionally expressive of the fundamental hay baling notion presented by White, supra, might well be innovatingly modified to incorporate those features. To that end, the impelling scoops or paddles incorporated in the drive (401) offered by Johnson and the assemblies of Lee and Rasmussen of which his was cumulative might be adopted.
The needs and objectives pointed out supra thus far remain only partly addressed in the prior art. Some, such as those just immediately addressed, have not been met at all.